To Carry the Christ

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”  Luke 1:28

What does it take to carry the Christ child?  Favor.  You know... the kind of favor that doesn't win points with the rest of the world. Favor that makes you an unwed pregnant teen.  Favor that makes your soon-to-be husband want a divorce. Favor that makes those around you wonder what you have been doing in secret.  Favor that makes you seem crazy.  Because no one that goes around saying she is carrying God is going to be looked upon as normal!

That is the type of favor given to Mary.  Nowadays, we look at Mary with favor.  But for her to live through the agony of carrying a child that was not her husband's, raising a Boy into a Man that was perfect to begin with, and then watching Him being abused and murdered would have been agony.  Her favor was her suffering.  Her favor was her heartache..."And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2:35b

We forget that God's favor sometimes comes in the form of failure, the sting of suffering, and the hurt of heartache.  Are you struggling this Christmas season?  Remember that you are His and in His eyes you are favored.